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Sunday, November 24, 2013

What did Prime Minister Stephen Harper know about a Conservative senator’s
improper expenses and when did he know it?

That’s the question politicians and the public are asking about a police
investigator’s preliminary report into Senator Mike Duffy’s expenses claims.

Police
found there was “no evidence” Harper had detailed knowledge of an elaborate plan
within his office to repay Duffy’s questionable housing and travel expenses.

The investigation into fraud and bribery allegations suggested that
former chief of staff Nigel Wright received Harper’s approval for an initial
plan to have the Conservative party cover about $32,000 of the expenses.

When the amount escalated to $90,000, the plan was dropped, the report
said.

Police suggest the prime minister’s office tried to contain the
“embarrassing” scandal and halt the audit into Duffy’s expenses.

Harper continues to insist he knew nothing of the arrangement in which Wright
gave Duffy the money to pay back the expenses.

The
Senate has suspended without pay Duffy and two other Conservative senators
appointed by Harper who have repaid expenses of about $278,000 while a fourth Liberal
senator retired and paid back $231,649.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The Canadian government’s bid to reform – or even abolish – the
non-elected Senate is being supported by two western provinces.

Alberta
and Saskatchewan have agreed at a hearing before the Supreme Court with the
federal government’s position that senators should be elected.

Both provinces also support that outright abolition of the
scandal-plagued upper chamber would require the approval of seven provinces
with 50 percent of the population.

And, Saskatchewan agrees the federal government could unilaterally
impose a term limit of least 10 years instead of senators serving now until age
75.

The historic ruling into how much or little approval by the provincial
governments is needed to make changes is expected to take up to a year.

There are concerns by the provinces that the prime minister would not be
bound to appoint the winners of Senate elections and that views of smaller
provinces would be overlooked in considering abolition.

The Conservative government has been embarrassed lately with the
suspension without pay of three former Conservative senators who were told to
repay “improper” expenses totaling about $278,000. A fourth Liberal senator
retired and repaid $231,649.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Canada’s political scandal update has three disgraced senators suspended
without pay and Toronto’s embattled crack-smoking mayor considering his
options.

The
Senate voted to suspend for the balance of the term – about two years – Sens.
Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin for inappropriate expense claims.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who appointed the trio in 2009 and has
since had them lose their Conservative party affiliation, said they had to pay
a price for their actions.

The three were ordered to repay expenses totaling about $278,000 while a
fourth senator, former Liberal Mac Harb, retired and repaid $231,649.

They will not be able to collect their salaries of $135,200 a year but continue
to receive extended health benefits during their time-out.

A
police investigation continues into possible fraud and breach of trust by the
three.

“I
think it's an extremely sad day for democracy if we can't expect the rule of
law in Canada, then where on earth can we expect it,” Wallin said after being
suspended.

In
Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford has apologized as a “drunken mistake,” a profanity-laced
video in which he threatened to kill someone a week after admitting to having
smoked crack cocaine as purported in an earlier video.

Attorney Dennis Morris said the mounting pressure on Ford to resign has
him considering his options including taking time off and going into rehab.